The short version
- With Pro, any Gradiently design can be exported as a seamless 5 to 30 second loop in which the words stay still and the Mark moves beneath them.
- Four settings shape the loop: movement, pace, colour and particles, and the preview plays exactly as the file will.
- Video saves as MP4 or WebM, depending on what your browser can record, at up to 1080p, and recording takes as long as the video.
- GIF exports loop forever and are kept under 15 MB, stepping down in size on their own if needed.
- A design with several pages can export as one video in which the pages play in turn with their transitions.
On this page
To export GIF loops, or MP4 and WebM video, from a Gradiently design, open it in the Studio, choose Export and pick Video or GIF. Set a length between 5 and 30 seconds, choose how the Mark moves, and download. Your words stay perfectly still while the living background drifts, flows or breathes beneath them, and the loop joins without a visible jump, so it can repeat forever in a story, a post or on a screen. Video and GIF exports are part of Pro.
GIF, MP4 or WebM: which to export
Worth knowing
Worth knowing
Worth knowing
Which video format you get depends on your browser: Gradiently records the loop in the browser and saves it as MP4 or WebM according to what that browser supports. If a browser can't record video at all, the dialog says so and suggests Chrome or Safari. The longer comparison lives in GIF vs MP4 and MP4 vs WebM.
How to export a looping video
- 1
Open Export and choose Video
The preview starts playing straight away, exactly as the finished file will.
- 2
Set the length
Anything from 5 to 30 seconds. If the design has text entrances such as rise, pop, wipe or typewriter, the dialog shows the minimum length they need to finish.
- 3
Choose movement, pace, colour and particles
Try a few combinations and watch the preview. Your choices are remembered on the design, so the next export starts where you left off.
- 4
Record
The loop records in real time, so 20 seconds takes about 20 seconds. Keep the tab open until the download starts.
- 5
Post it as a video
Upload the file wherever you would post a video. Seamless loops explains why a clean join holds attention.
Movement, pace, colour and particles
Options
What it does
What it does
Options
What it does
Options
What it does
The calmer combinations make the best loops for feeds, because they read as a living surface rather than an animation demanding attention. Save the livelier ones, Swirl at a Brisk pace or Cycle colour, for launches, events and music, where energy is the point. And a Glow or Cycle loop on a story with a lot of small text is harder to read than a quiet one, so match the motion to the words.
A calm loop for an everyday post: the field glides, the words never move.
A livelier loop for an event story, with particles in the Mark's colours.
How to export a GIF
Choose GIF instead of Video and the same loop settings apply. The extra choice is Quality: Small, Balanced or Sharp. The dialog shows the GIF's size, frame rate and an estimate of the file size before you download, and the preview plays the loop exactly as the GIF will.
Keep a GIF small
- A shorter loop, 5 to 8 seconds
- Small or Balanced quality
- Calm movement with Original colour
- No particles, or few
- A smaller design size
What makes a GIF heavy
- A long loop
- Sharp quality on a large design
- Cycle colour, which changes every pixel
- Dense particles such as Swarm
- Fine grain across the whole field
Every GIF is kept under 15 MB: if one would be larger, it steps down in size on its own. If it still can't fit, Gradiently asks you to try a shorter loop or a lower quality. GIFs are limited to 256 colours per frame, which is why a smooth gradient can show faint steps; animated GIF tips explains how to keep them clean.
Exporting several pages as one video
A design with several pages, such as a carousel or a deck, can export as one video. The pages play one after another, each for its own length, with the transition you set between them: None, Fade, Slide, Zoom or Dissolve, where the words sink into the Mark and the next rise out of it. Set lengths and transitions in the page bar; the carousel maker guide shows where. Choose This page in Export to get a single loop instead.
How long a loop should be, and which size
Story and Reel 9:16
1080 × 1920
Portrait post 4:5
1080 × 1350
Square 1:1
1080 × 1080
Screen 16:9
1920 × 1080
- 5 to 10 seconds for stories, Reels covers and feed posts, where the loop repeats while someone reads.
- 10 to 20 seconds for posts with more to read, or a carousel exported as video.
- 20 to 30 seconds for screens in shops, receptions and events, where a longer cycle hides the repeat.
- Respect reduced motion on websites: offer a still for visitors who ask for less movement, as prefers reduced motion explains.
The reasoning behind those lengths is in how long a video loop should be. For stills from the same design, PNG, JPEG, PDF and SVG, see exporting designs.
Questions people ask
How do I export a design as a GIF?
Open the design in Gradiently, choose Export, then GIF. Pick a length of 5 to 30 seconds, the movement and a quality of Small, Balanced or Sharp, and download.
Why did my video export as WebM instead of MP4?
Gradiently records the loop in your browser and saves it in the format that browser supports. Some browsers record MP4, others WebM.
How big can an exported GIF be?
Gradiently keeps every GIF under 15 MB, stepping it down in size automatically if needed.
Do the words move in a looping video export?
No. The words stay still while the Mark moves beneath them, unless you have added text animations such as rise, pop, wipe or typewriter.
Can I export a carousel as one video?
Yes. Choose all pages in the video export and they play in turn, each for its own length, with the transitions set in the page bar.
Written by Gradiently
The team behind Gradiently, a design tool built around Marks: living gradients that make everything you design look like yours.
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